SC to continue hearing in Haji Ali Dargah trust case

The Supreme Court will today hear the Haji Ali Dargah trust case, regarding demolition of encroachments around the area.

In its earlier hearing, the apex court on July 28 asked the Maharashtra Government to apprise it within two weeks about the progress made by it in demolishing encroachments near the Haji Ali Shrine.

The Supreme Court on July 14 allowed Haji Ali Dargah's trust to file a plea for regularisation of Kinara mosque with the Maharashtra Government.

In a U-turn, the apex court ordered protection of Kinara Mosque near Haji Ali, a portion of which was facing demolition as it was an encroachment.

Just three days back, the top court had refused the Maharashtra Government's plea for stay on Kinara Mosque demolition on the same ground.

The apex court had also asked the Maharashtra Government to decide the regularisation application within a week and stayed the demolition of Kinara mosque till then.

On July 3, the apex court granted the Maharashtra Government two weeks time to remove the encroachments from the approaching roads leading to Mumbai's Haji Ali Dargah.

The apex court, earlier in Apri,l asked the Haji Ali Dargah Trust to demolish all encroachments in and around the Dargah, excluding the mosque standing on 171 sq metres area.

A bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Jagdish Singh Khehar passed the interim order after hearing a plea filed by the petitioner, Haji Ali dargah trust which told the court that the encroachment portion should be removed.

The apex court also in its order said that no court shall grant any injunction on the removal of the alleged encroachments, adding that if any party wanted some modification of the court order, it can certainly move to this court.